


between the sheets

by Emilys_List



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-30
Updated: 2004-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:36:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilys_List/pseuds/Emilys_List
Summary: josh and donna clear the air and talk about sheets.  silly,silly fic.





	between the sheets

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**between the sheets**

**by:** emily’s list

**Pairing(s):** josh/donna  
**Category(s):** missing scene from _inauguration: over there._ ust.  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** sadly, i do not own anyone or anything mentioned in this story.  
**Summary:** josh and donna clear the air and talk about sheets. silly, silly fic.  
**Spoiler:** inauguration part i & ii  


The orchestra played "Moonlight Serenade." The lights were beautiful and set the mood. The champagne was plentiful, and they both had imbibed their fare share. 

They danced, ignoring everyone else for once. 

"I don't have a saber," he says out of nowhere. 

"Okay," Donna replies, settling her cheek against his shoulder. 

"I have a lot of other things. The Prime Minister of Japan gave me sushi cutlery." 

"But you probably can't carry that around," she snickers. 

"I also have things of a nonviolent nature." He took a moment to breathe. "I have Ralph Lauren sheets on my bed." 

"Really." The delivery of the word was pressing but not anxious. 

"They're soft... they have whatever a high thread count is. They're pretty lonely sheets." 

"Lonely?" 

"I don't spend enough time with my sheets, apparently. Too many nights at work with you, I think." 

"I'd hate to come between a man and his sheets." She's immediately appalled at the horrible double entendre that she uttered, but her horror slides into a smirk. 

He smirks back. "You'd hate that?" He leans in. "You can come between me and my sheets anytime you'd like." 

"What would make your sheets feel less lonely?" She ignores him. 

"My sheets only yearn to be useful." 

"Josh." 

"Yeah," he breathes on her neck. 

"No." 

"All I said was, Yeah." 

"I know what you're not saying. So... no, Josh." 

"Donna, we were just talking about my sheets." 

"It's not that I don't want to... see your sheets." 

"You've seen them before," he replies, bewildered. 

"Yes, I know I have. But we're not talking about sheets. Are we." She starts again, "It's not that I don't want to see your sheets..." 

"But you just got out of a relationship with someone's else's sheets?" 

She made a face, choosing her words carefully. "Is this conversation getting incredibly absurd, or is it...?" 

"Yeah." 

"I wanted to tell you before... you look great. Dashing," she tells him, her hand smoothing the lapel of his tuxedo. 

"Thank you. Although I seem to be missing thirteen buttons on my trousers..." 

Donna slaps his chest lightly, her smile broadening. "So when are we going to the other seven balls?" 

"I don't know, when do you want to leave?" He speaks quickly. 

"I'm fairly certain I don't make those decisions." 

"You can make decisions for the two of us. I bestow that honor on you," he announces as he moves closer. 

"We leave with everyone else, Josh." 

"Does it look like I want to be with everyone else?" he asks honestly. 

Her stomach tightens, yearning to deflect his sweet answer with wit. "I'm sorry, do you want to be dancing with Will Bailey?" 

"Actually, Toby, but I'll stick with you anyway," Josh returns. He leans in, his arm drawing tight around her waist. "You smell incredible. That's new perfume." 

"Are you in the habit of smelling me?" 

He ignores her. "Why new perfume?" 

"New administration." She shrugs. "So I smell incredible?" 

"What's it called?" 

"The perfume? It doesn't have a name." 

"They always do. Obsession, uh, Passion, Dream, Ocean Spray." 

"You've gone 'round the bend," Donna says with a laugh. "And I'm pretty sure the last one is juice." 

"I've been around this alleged bend for quite some time now. Maybe you've just joined me," he replies, dipping her unexpectedly. When she returns to his eye line, she greets him with a smile. 

"Did you just touch my ass?" 

"That's quite possible. Why? Do you object?" 

"We're in the middle of the Inauguration Ball," she reminds him in a conspiratory whisper. 

"'An' not 'the.' Hey, we should go to the other Balls so I can do that again." 

"Touch my ass, or mock me about forgetting the multiple balls?" 

"It's really your call, Donna." They dance, swaying together, their hips pressed tightly to each other. 

"I read Matthew Mode's new book," she tells him, apropos of nothing. 

"I didn't mean to touch your ass," he says, distracted. 

"There's a whole section about the ineptitude of the Bartlet Administration." 

"But once my hand was there, I just wanted to leave it. So I apologize... unless you don't want me to." 

"He got into extreme detail about Senior Staff. I wonder where he gets his information." 

"I suppose what I'm asking you is... wait, Senior Staff?" 

"'We are asked to put forth trust in a man who deliberately concealed the truth from the American Public AND appointed a Deputy Chief of Staff that bumbles press briefings with secret plans to flight inflation.'" 

"When were you reading his book?" Josh asks intensely. 

"I watched Inauguration coverage on C-SPAN and read. And I drank a bottle of wine." 

"You... memorized it," he realizes. 

"It was a good passage. 'My problem is not with an alcoholic or someone who befriends a call girl. Hell, I don't even draw issue with someone dating their assistant. What I fault is the absolute--" 

"Who's dating their assistant?" 

"I think he's referring to you, Mr. Lyman." 

His throat went dry, and he gave her a stunned smile. He put pressure on the hand on her back. "I'm not dating my assistant. She won't keep my sheets company. She is a cruel, cruel woman." 

"It's just a rumor, Josh. People think we're seeing each other." 

"I'm seeing you right now," he says softly. 

"People think we're sleeping together." 

"Well, they're misinformed. Because of the aforementioned sheet problem." 

"Do you want to go to bed with me?" she asks bluntly. 

"I'm sorry... wha... what?" 

"Josh. Do you want to sleep with me?" She moves the hand that was on his shoulder to his neck, stroking the skin lightly with her fingertips. 

"See, right there, you're really not asking me. The way you're asking, it could be a hypothetical question," he says nervously. 

"It's not, but forget it." 

"'It's not, forget it?'" 

"You should've just said yes at the beginning. We could be on our way to your apartment." 

"Really. When I... uh, didn't ask you before, you said no because you--" 

"I changed my mind." 

"Good." He leans his face closer, his eyes slipping closed, envisioning pressing his lips to hers. 

"But I changed it back again," she says, interrupting his vision. "Your loss." 

The orchestra stops and they break apart. When they start playing "They Can't Take That Away From Me," he grabs her. 

"Maybe I don't want to dance with you," she says, leaning closer into her body. 

"So I'm thinking the sheet comments, although witty, did not do the trick." 

"What do you want, Josh?" she asks, looking into his eyes. 

"Can I just... I'm gonna... talk. Okay? I'm sorry, but I'm happy Jack was transferred. Commander Wonderful is unworthy of you. So are all of the other... men... you get involved with. Me, included, I don't... do you always look this beautiful?" 

"...oh, I should answer? Are you done with your... talk?" 

"The question was rhetorical." 

"I can answer. Yes, I do." 

"Okay." 

"You were several different kinds of jealous of Jack. Weren't you." 

"No. That would be stupid," he says as he spins her. When she returns to his embrace, she touches his cheek. 

"You almost kissed me, Josh, do you realize that?" 

His eyes darted around. "I didn't almost do anything. I'm just dancing, Donna." 

"What if I kissed you?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. She spoke into his ear, her voice keeping the same raspy quality. "What would you do?" 

"Honestly?" She nodded. "I'd really enjoy it. And then I'd realize where we were, and that I should probably feel embarrassed, and I'd--" 

Donna stops his talking, pressing two fingers to his lips. He raises his eyebrows, staring at her. "You really processed that a lot, Josh. Too much. When you kiss me, you won't be able to think." The fingers on his neck began to apply more pressure to his skin. 

"What... what if I kiss you?" he asks, his voice strained and distracted. 

"That's irrelevant. What's more important is what happens after." 

"After." 

"Yeah." Her tongue slips out and she subconsciously licks her lips. 

"We should leave. Now. My sheets really--" She drops her arms, hooking one through his. 

"Okay," she smiles. 

"I'm grateful that my powers of seduction are still strong." 

"I don't think I'd say that again, if I were you," she says as they walk towards the door. "The only reason we're leaving now is because I've had quite enough foreplay. For a lifetime." 

He puts his hand to the small of her back. "Couldn't agree more. Let's go get -- hmm -- my coat..." 

"We can share," she tells him as they try to avoid a group of people. 

"Josh." 

Leo's voice. 

"If we just keep moving, maybe we can lose them," Josh whispers. 

"Josh. Donna." 

The President's voice. 

They stop moving. "I feel like we're getting grounded," she says quietly as they turn around. They walk towards the group. 

"Just tell me we'll continue this later," she says out of the corner of her mouth. 

They smile at the group of people. 

"We're just going to step in here," Leo says, leading the group into a room off of the ballroom. 

They stray behind, falling to the back. "We'll definitely continue this later. You should seriously consider calling me Wild Thing." 

They walk side by side into the room. 

"I wouldn't count on it," she tells him. 

"Donna, you haven't even seen my... sheets." 

"I would never consider Ralph Lauren to be wild." 

C.J. peered over at them curiously. "What are you two talking about?" 

Donna started to cough violently, so Josh rubbed her back. "Met him at a fund raiser. Long story." 

"I have the greatest Ralph Lauren sheets on my bed," C.J. tells them. "Incredibly soft." 

Donna nods, and her eyes slide to meet Josh's. "Good to know." 

+the end+ 


End file.
